Using AI for health advice: benefits, risks and safer ways to use it

While AI is doing a remarkable job at helping make health information more accessible, it’s important to understand its limits. These tools are not doctors (and they will remind you of that, in a fun British accent if you wish) so relying on them beyond advice can come with consequences.

Let’s talk about how AI can support your health, where it can fall short, and why it works best when used alongside qualified healthcare professionals.

This article was written by a real person, who discussed this topic with a real medical practitioner, and who may or may not use AI later to ask about her toddler-related neck pain – in line with booking a physio appointment, of course.

Example of an AI tool:

ChatGPT Health launched in January 2026, when OpenAI introduced it as a dedicated health-focused space within ChatGPT.

It isn’t classified or regulated as a medical device or diagnostic tool. As a result, there are no required safety controls, risk reporting, post-market monitoring, or obligations to share testing data.

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Using AI for health advice: benefits and risks

You’ve entered in your symptoms, attached them to ‘should I worry?’ and within seconds you’re flooded with possible causes, treatments, and ta-da – worries. While AI is something to be celebrated in the health system with breakthroughs galore and a focus on health literacy – making health issues easier to understand and jargon-free, it’s also one that comes with a message of caution. Especially from health professionals. 

AI doesn’t know your:

• Full medical history
• Significance of prior investigation results
• Medications
• Lifestyle
• Social context
• Risk factors

And very importantly, it can’t examine you. It also doesn’t know your level of comfort with medical information nor your unique medical circumstances.

This can lead to:

• Misdiagnosis
• People trying unsafe treatments
• Missed (serious) conditions, or a failure to flag urgency
• Confusion and inaction

While a response from AI can sound confident, tailored, and well-researched, it should be treated as general information, not personalised medical advice. AI will give the most likely answer, a GP considers both probability and risk. This isn’t to dismiss AI, as it’s ability to support your health journey with better understanding of chronic illnesses, questions to ask health specialists, and translations in multiple languages is a big step forward. It’s just that turning to it as a substitute comes with the discussed risks. 

AI can explain health information, but it can’t diagnose you, examine you, or understand your full medical history.

So, what’s the best way to use AI for health support?

Since we’re talking AI, let’s ask AI how it suggests you use AI for health advice safely:

• Use it to learn, not diagnose: Ask for explanations of symptoms, conditions, or treatments, but don’t rely on it to tell you what you have.
• Cross-check important info: Compare answers with trusted Australian sources like Healthdirect or your GP.
• Use it to prepare for appointments: Turn your concerns into clear questions or summaries to take to a doctor.
• Look for red flags: Be cautious if advice sounds overly certain or dismisses serious symptoms.
• Protect your privacy: Avoid sharing sensitive personal or health data unless you know how it’s stored and used.
• Know when to skip AI: For urgent symptoms (e.g. chest pain, breathing trouble, severe mental health distress).

We couldn’t agree more, but feel we could add to this with one final piece of advice from our own in-house doctor, Dr Andy.

AI can support you to understand your health, but it can’t replace a doctor’s clinical judgement and proper examination.

Final takeaway

AI can be a helpful starting point, but when it comes to decisions about your health, your doctor should always have the final say.